With my outline finished, I have moved on to crafting the scenes. I am working on the first draft of my middle grade book. *Interject back-story: I have several projects in different stages of completion. The outline is a new tactic to see if it can get me over the hump and to the end. You see I am a perfectionist. Translation: I rarely finish things. (Need the psycho babble explanation? Go see your own shrink, I already paid for mine.)
So where was I? Oh, yes…The good part is I know where I am going. The bad part is I am about half-way through and I feel like I am floundering in a large pot of spaghetti noodles trying to grab on to something solid. This is still better than without the outline because at least I have noodles to grab. They just seem to slip from of my hands as fast as I grab them. What is up with that? Does anyone know what I’m talking about? I don’t think it is writer’s block because I have plenty to write about. I have chilled with my characters right down to their underwear, theirs not mine. So what's the hold-up?
I am ready and anxious to push this through. I am armed with my Chai Tea, Caramel Milky Way and mood music. I will let you know how it goes this week. What do you do to push through until the sun rises?
Hmmm, honestly? I know exactly what your talking about. I'm writing a trilogy and though I never sat down to plot it or anything I know exactly what needs to happen and when it does. I have so much to write about... and yet. Yet, I find myself struggling a lot. My characters voices are loud and incessant in my head, I have lots to say, it's just the writing part that gets me. I don't have any brilliant advice. I don't know how to fix it.
ReplyDeleteThough I do think, for me at least, it's simply that I never think the story can be good enough, I can't write it the way I see it in my head and its discouraging. I also think I'm a much better storyteller than writer and I'm sure that doesn't help either.
Sounds like a case of too many good ideas at once!
ReplyDeleteAnd when floundering in that plate of spaghetti, reach for a meatball - slippery but solid!
Melissa, It is always nice to know that you're not suffering alone. Transferring what is in your head to the page is always challenging. We perfectionists have to be willing to just get it out, worry about the details in revision. Easier said than done I'm finding.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I like your idea. After thinking about it, I think I will just concentrate on scenes (meatball) and worry about how they connect (noodles) later. Thanks!
I work from the general to the specific. I fill out a bullet point outline or a very thin MS as I go along. I have a junkyard to store ideas until they are ready for use. I rarely leave links to my previous blogs, but here's one in regards to this matter:
ReplyDeletehttp://stephentremp.blogspot.com/search?q=junkyard
Stephen Tremp
Hmmm .... my HTML needs work. Let's try that link again:
ReplyDeleteThe Junkyard
Thanks Stephen! I was taking a break and looked at your link. I think I need to let go of what happens next and focus on a scene.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing how it all turns out!!! I do my best to push through all the ideas, work one by one and wait until the sun rise, what a beautiful description!!!
ReplyDelete